Flexible planar thin batteries utilizing lithium-based chemistries are known wherein the electrodes are formulated by the deposition of an active material film onto a substrate using various deposition techniques such as pulsed laser deposition, spin coating and sputtering. These techniques tend to require relatively costly and complex equipment and do not lend themselves to a high throughput inexpensive manufacturing process. Further, many devices requiring a power supply, such as novelty packaging and greeting cards augmented with audio and/or visual outputs, are manufactured on high speed web-based printing lines. Lithium-based technologies are not an attractive power source for such low cost per unit applications. The ability to produce both the device and the power supply in a single process presents opportunities for cost savings. There is therefore a need to develop an inexpensive electrochemical power supply that can be produced in a web-based process by stenciling, screen printing or other thick film application processes. As used herein, “print” and “printing” and “printable” refer to any such thick film application process whereby the layer produced is between 10 and 250 microns thick and includes both stenciling and screen printing processes.
It is therefore an object of the within invention to provide a printable zinc ink that can be printed directly onto a nonconductive substrate without the need for a distinct anode current collector.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide a printable zinc ink that can be printed directly onto a flexible nonconductive polymer substrate without the need for a distinct anode current collector.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with a printed anode, a printed cathode current collector, a printed cathode and a printed separator/electrolyte.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with a printed zinc anode, a printed manganese dioxide cathode and a printed metallic cathode current collector in an electrolyte comprising zinc chloride.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with a printed zinc anode, a printed manganese dioxide cathode and a printed metallic cathode current collector in an electrolyte comprising zinc acetate.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with an anode printed onto a first flexible polymer substrate, a cathode current collector printed onto a second flexible polymer substrate, a cathode printed directly onto the printed cathode current collector, wherein said first and second flexible polymer substrates are subsequently joined together to form a battery housing or package.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with an anode and a cathode current collector both printed directly onto a first piece of nonconductive substrate material in a coplanar arrangement, a printed cathode printed directly onto the cathode current collector and where a second piece of substrate material is subsequently joined with the first together to form a battery housing or package.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide a carbon zinc electrochemical cell with at least one electrode printed onto a nonconductive substrate and a printable gelled polymer electrolyte that also functions as a separator.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an alkaline electrochemical cell with at least one electrode printed onto a nonconductive substrate and a printable gelled polymer separator.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide an electrochemical cell with at least one electrode printed onto a nonconductive substrate, where said substrate forms a flexible battery housing or package and current flows between the interior of said package and the exterior of said package using discontinuous tabs in order to assure electrochemical compatibility between the external tab and the internal cell chemistry, to allow for a more robust external tab development and to reduce the potential for electrolyte leakage through the package or housing seal.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide a printable gelled zinc chloride electrolyte that is particularly suitable for use in cells having printed co-planar electrodes.
It is a further object of the within invention to provide a device powered by such a printed flexible battery and having one or more printed components.